"Women are entitled to both lipstick and free speech." [Naomi Wolf, The Beauty Myth, 1990]

Grrrl Perspective is a little blog where three young feminists share their views on music, media, mysogyny, and more. We want keep the fun and humor in feminism, while helping others understand why it's still so important today. We believe in equality and empowering women, but without putting men down. It's time to do away with the old stereotypes, so please ladies, leave your burning bras at the door!

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August 22, 2010

do 8 year olds really need bikini waxes?

According to current research, girls are going through puberty earlier and earlier, with many getting their periods, developing breasts, and growing body hair as young as 7 or 8 years old. Because this is a fairly new phenomenon, scientists are still trying to understand why this is happening, but many suspect hormones in food, diet, and obesity to be key factors. Also the risks these girls may face in later life is still not understood either.

Currently, to help "deal" with the body hair "issue" that these young girls are facing, salons have started offering waxing services for the tweens set and girls as young as 8 years old are getting their pubes waxed. There are even discounts for "virgin hair". I just threw up a little in my mouth after I typed this.

Let's back up for a minute: When I was in middle school, I thought my underarm hair was out of control. I used a depilatory similar to Nair and broke out in this itchy painful blistering rash. It was so bad I had to go to my pediatrician and get it looked at. It hurt so fucking bad. My doctor, who's known me since I was 2, wanted to know why I wanted my hair to be gone. I told him that I didn't like it and that I needed it gone and that my friends had theirs gone too. And what if I wanted to wear a bikini one day, I'd need to have no body hair. He just stared at me, puzzled. He told me if I wanted to wear a bikini, which he thought I was way too young for anyway, that I should wear boy shorts, and that hair under my arms was just fine and that my body was doing what it was SUPPOSED TO DO by growing hair. Then he told me to put baking soda under my arms.

Now imagine being 8 years old. Imagine not knowing anything about puberty or growing up and then you look down one day and see hair on your vagina. It's interesting. Slightly scary. But also fascinating. And then imagine someone telling you this is gross, and taking you somewhere and letting some stranger put hot wax on your little 8 year old vagina and ripping the hair off. Have you ever had your pubes waxed? Me either, but that shit hurts. Or imagine growing up thinking that body hair is disgusting, and seeing the other women in your family without any, and feeling ashamed because you have some growing on your vagina, upper lip, arms, or on your legs. It's confusing to me and I am 28. I have no idea what to "do with my pubes" but I am adult. I am not 8 years old.

Here is something to consider: Who is looking at an 8 year olds pubes anyway? Who is concerned with this? And why? Parents why are you forcing your daughters to endure this humiliation and pain at such an early age? Girls, who told you this was ok? Waxers, what the fuck are you doing making money off of girls like this and making them think that they are not ok as they are?

Little girls just shouldn't be thinking about these things. It's toxic enough that grown women are so self-conscious. I used to be a nanny for a stripper. Sometimes I would go into work with her (without the kid, of course) when she needed to pick up her check or similar errands. I started to feel like my natural body looked unnatural. Now even my prudish single friends have had brazilians. I just don't want to be with a partner who wants my nether regions to look prepubescent. It makes me feel a little insecure sometimes, but then I decide that I'm just on the front edge of the backlash. Someday I'm gonna be retro-chic. Until then I'm just hoping to help my daughter love herself as is.